Quick Step confirm 27-man squad for 2010

Quick Step has settled their full 27-man roster for 2010, with three new riders signed to the coming season. The Belgian team has also revealed the first official images of the squad's 2010 kit.

Belgians Iljo Keisse, 27, and Nikolas Maes, 23, are joined by German sprinter Andreas Stauff, 22, as the new additions to the team, which will be built around established riders Tom Boonen, Stijn Devolder, Sylvain Chavanel and Carlos Barredo.

Despite the relative youth of Maes and Stauff, the team does not include any neo-pros. Both riders have competed as professionals for a number of years, albeit at the tiers beneath the ProTour level. Keisse, too, will make his ProTour debut with the team

In 2009, Quick Step took a number of significant victories, including Boonen and Devolder's respective Spring Classic wins at Paris-Roubaix and Ronde van Vlaanderen, and Barredo's triumph at the Clásica San Sebastián.

Tom Boonen has already indicated that a fourth Paris-Roubaix title will be an early season priority for 2010.

Despite the team's continued focus on their established Classic stars, team manager Patrick Lefevere recently showed his interest in high general classification results at Grand Tours with his ultimately unsuccessful attempt to recruit Alberto Contador to the team.

The burden of responsibility for those high results looks likely to fall on the younger members of the team. Quick Step said they will look to riders such as Kevin Seeldraeyers - winner of the Giro d'Italia's young rider classification - to step up a level in the new season. Seeldraeyers, 23, is therefore likely to be given the opportunity to improve on what was a 14th place overall finish in his second Grand Tour start.

The team has also revealed their 2010 kit, based closely on the retro design the squad was banned from using during the 2009 spring classics season. The predominantly blue jersey includes the logo of new bike sponsor Eddy Merckx and has been matched with black shorts.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Quick Step 2010 roster:
1Carlos Barredo (Spa)
2Tom Boonen (Bel)
3Dario Cataldo (Ita)
4Sylvain Chavanel (Fra)
5Kevin de Weert (Bel)
6Dries Devenyns (Bel)
7Stijn Devolder (Bel)
8Addy Engels (Ned)
9Mauro Facci (Ita)
10Kurt Hovelynck (Bel)
11Kevin Hulsmans (Bel)
12Iljo Keisse (Bel)
13Andrei Kunitski (Blr)
14Nikolas Maes (Bel)
15Davide Malacarne (Ita)
16Jerome Pineau (Fra)
17Francesco Reda (Ita)
18Branislau Samoilau (Blr)
19Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel)
20Andreas Stauff (Ger)
21Matteo Tosatto (Ita)
22Jurgen van de Walle (Bel)
23Kevin van Impe (Bel)
24Thomas Vedel Kvist (Den)
25Marco Velo (Ita)
26Wouter Weylandt (Bel)
27Maarten Wynants (Bel)

Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*

Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets

After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Join now for unlimited access

Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1